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Finger food - food that is just one or two bites per item - is best served for parties. Anything bigger becomes too messy, and embarrassingly difficult to eat!

Serve finger food that's a combination of prepare-ahead and last-minute assemblies. Anything that can be made well in advance and stored in the freezer or fridge is always a bonus.

Start with light nibbles, and then move on to something more substantial.

Aim for a good mix of hot and cold foods.

Do a balanced combination of fish, meat and vegetable items, including some filling bread, pasta or pastry items.

Include at least two hot items for a winter party.

For a long party, try to stagger serving the food throughout the evening rather than serving it all at once.

Don't forget some sweet things (our Chocolates or Fudge are ideal). As soon as the sweet things come out people will know the food is coming to an end.

Take into consideration anyone with special dietary requirements. Ask in advance what they are to avoid any last minute problems. It’s a good idea to actually plan on 5-10% of the Menu to be Vegetarian.

How much?

The golden rule is to keep things manageable. Don't try to prepare and serve more food than you and your kitchen can cope with.

If you're short of space, serve just a few substantial items rather than lots of dainty canapés that take up a lot of space and require a lot of preparation.

If you want to play it safe, buy some good-quality ready-made nibbles and keep them in the fridge-freezer as back-up.

Try using our Cook's calculator to work out how many nibbles you'll need for your party.

Chefs handy estimater

Find out the ideal size of turkey, goose or ham to buy to serve the number of guests you're cooking for, and work out how many canapés you'll need to keep your party going strong.

Turkey

Number of People

Weight

1-2

2.25kg / 5lb

3-4

2.25kg / 5lb

5-6

3kg / 6lbs 8oz

7-8

4kg / 8lbs 11oz

9-10

5kg / 11lbs 0oz

11-12

6kg / 13lbs 3oz

13-14

7kg / 15lbs 6oz

15-16

8kg / 17lbs 8oz

Ham, Bone In

Number of People

Weight

1-2

2kg / 4lbs 5oz

3-4

2kg / 4lbs 5oz

5-6

2.4kg / 5lbs 4oz

7-8

3.2kg / 7lbs 0oz

9-10

4kg / 8lbs 11oz

11-12

4.8kg / 10lbs 8oz

13-14

5.6kg / 12lbs 4oz

15-16

6.4kg / 14lbs 1oz

Honey Roast Ham from The Cheese and Wine Shop!

Goose

Number of People

Weight

1-2

4kg / 9lb

3-4

4kg / 9lb

5-6

4kg / 9lb

7-8

4.5kg / 10lb

9-10

5.5kg / 12lb

11-12

2 x 4kg / 9lb

13-14

2 x 4.5kg / 10lb

15-16

2 x 4.5kg / 10lb

Canapés

2 hour party

4 hour party

All evening party

Number of People

Number of canapés

Number of People

Number of canapés

Number of People

Number of canapés

4

4 to 32

4

32 to 40

4

40 to 48

6

36 to 48

6

48 to 60

6

60 to 72

8

48 to 64

8

64 to 80

8

80 to 96

10

60 to 80

10

80 to 100

10

100 to 120

12

72 to 96

12

96 to 120

12

120 to 144

14

84 to 112

14

112 to 140

14

140 to 168

16

96 to 128

16

128 to 160

16

160 to 192

Serving ideas

The more attractive the presentation, the more delicious the food will appear. You can use fresh herbs, thin slices of lemon and lime or colourful salad leaves for garnish to add some colour.

Here are some tips:

Arrange just one or two items in neat, evenly spaced rows.

Odd rather than even numbers arranged in diagonal lines somehow look far better than straight lines.

Use your imagination. Look around your house and you'll be amazed what you can use.

Cheat's corner

If cooking really isn't your thing or you just don't have the time, then add a few finishing touches to some bought canapés or nibbles.

Add a herb sprig, some lemon zest, drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle of cayenne/paprika/ground spices, twist of pepper or scattering of sea salt.

Garnish with a bunch of watercress or scattering of small rocket leaves or baby spinach.

For sweet items, add a dusting of icing sugar, cocoa powder or cinnamon, scatter chocolate shavings, top with fresh fruit or berries or add a few subtly placed strings of redcurrants.

Mulled Wine Recipe

The smell of soft, sweet spice mingling with warm wine is inviting on cold and dark winter evenings. Although it’s possible to buy ‘ready-made’ mulled wine, why not make your own this year? The difference is amazing – fresh citrus fruit, fusing with cloves, cinnamon and a touch of ginger – an intense and warming mulled wine to impress with.

Pour the wine into a large saucepan and add in all the ingredients. Heat gently, stirring occasionally until the sugar has dissolved. Taste and add more sugar if not sweet enough. Serve in warm, heatproof cups or glasses and keep the rest warm over low heat – do not let the mulled wine boil or even be close to boiling. Enjoy! No time to make it; buy Mulled Wine from the Cheese and Wine Shop here!